Improvement in railway-rail joints



I this specification,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-RAIL, JOINTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 194,496,

dated August 21, 1877 application filed June 12, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. DOTY, of Washington, in the county of Washington and District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway Rail Joints, of which the following is a specification:

The object of this invention is to give material support to the ends of railway-rails, and thus preserve the continuity of the surface of the track, which is liable to be broken by the action of passing trains.

The improvement consists in attaching points to the ends of the base of the rails on each side, which, overlapping the base of the adjoining rail, bear each against the surface of the base of the other.

In the annexed drawing, making a part of Figures 1 and 4 are perspective views. Figs. 2, 3, and 5 are plan views.

The same letters are employed in all the figures in the indication of identical parts.

A and B represent two rails with their bases extended, to form lips O and D on opposite sides, and so disposed that, when the two-ends are brought together, the extension on the base of one will extend over the base of the other, so that any weight passing over one will have its weight distributed equally over both rails. The interlocking parts also tend to prevent the displacement of the rail, and thus' strengthen the track.

I am aware that interlocking devices have been used to connect strap-rails, but in such cases the ends of the rails were cut away alternately on each side, and the projecting half had been bent down under the end of the 0pposite rail, so that, in laying such rails, :it was necessary to cut a recess in the tie or sill to receive the underlapping portion of the contiguous rails. In my device the points are attached to the flanges alternately on opposite sides, ing flange, so that the base is uncut and the bottom smooth; consequently the tie or sill does not require to be cut, and when the rails are spiked they afl'ord mutual support, so that my invention is applicable to T-rails, which the former dex ice was not.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The rails A and B, having extensions 0 and D upon the upper side of the base, overlapping the flange of the base of the ad'oining rail, and giving mutual support to the rails, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY H. DOTY.

Witnesses:

J. G. MASON, DAVID WALKER.

and are made to overlap the adjoin- 

